MR. MCCLELLAN: Good
afternoon. I only have one announcement today. At 3:15
p.m., here in the press briefing room, a senior administration official
will give a readout on the meeting between President Bush and President
Mubarak. It will be a background briefing.

And with that, I am happy to take questions.

Q Scott, does the
President have a reaction to the fact that the Chinese have apparently
boarded the spy plane?

MR. MCCLELLAN: I don't have any
information on that.

Q Well, U.S. officials
say it happened, so does the President not know that that's the case or
--

MR. MCCLELLAN: I'm not aware of
that.

Q Scott, the President
said further, when he talked about the matter, he referred to further
tampering, which indicated that he knew something had happened.

MS. COUNTRYMAN: No, he said,
further damage.

Q Pardon?

MS. COUNTRYMAN: He said, further
damage.

Q No. No.

Q No, he said, further
tampering. Scott, has the plane been tampered
with? Or, to what extent has the plane been tampered with?

MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, I think the
President's statement was very clear.

Q No, it wasn't,
Scott. He didn't even address this.

MR. MCCLELLAN: Again, I have no
information on whether or not the plane has been boarded by Chinese
officials.

Q Is the accident
clearly characterize as an accident or as a result of an attack?

MR. MCCLELLAN: We consider it a
midair accident.

Q Accident?

MR. MCCLELLAN: Yes, accident;
that's correct.

Q I'm sorry, do you not
have information about whether the plane was boarded, or does the
United States not have information about whether the plane was
boarded?

MR. MCCLELLAN: I do not have that
information.

Q You're not saying it
doesn't exist, you just don't have it?

MR. MCCLELLAN: I have no
information to that effect. So I think I've addressed
it. I think I've addressed it, though.

Q But you're not
disputing it?

MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, I don't know
where your reports are coming from. I'd refer you to State Department
or the Pentagon on that.

Q Well, can't we get
some reaction from the President on this?

MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, again, I think
what he said earlier was that it's very troubling by the lack of speed
in allowing us the diplomatic access to the crew.

Q That's not the issue,
Scott.

MR. MCCLELLAN: I understand that,
but I think I addressed it --

Q No, you haven't.

MR. MCCLELLAN: -- that I have no
information about what you're referring to.

Q Did the plane fly on
a special mission? It was reported it was a routine flight.

MR. McCLELLAN: This is a routine
mission over international airspace, as we indicated earlier.

Q Scott, in any of the
conversations that the administration has had with Chinese officials,
have they indicated that the Chinese response to this -- I don't want
to call it a foreign policy crisis, but foreign policy challenge -- may
impact the U.S. decision to sell four Arleigh Burke class destroyers to
Taiwan?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, on the
question of arms sales to Taiwan, no decision has been made at this
point. We do --

Q I understand
that. But the question was, have you indicated to the
Chinese that how they respond to this may have some influence on the
President's decision to sell those --

MR. McCLELLAN: I think right now
the focus is on getting access to the crew. And that's the
focus, and that's the issue we're focused on right now, immediate
access to the crew.

Q Right. But
in those conversations, has anybody from the administration said to the
Chinese, how you respond to this, how quickly you give us access to the
crew, how quickly you let the crew go may have some impact on our
decision to sell these arms to Taiwan?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'll see if I can
find out more for you.

Q Scott, have the
Chinese at least given some indication of the condition of all the
Americans?

MR. McCLELLAN: The Chinese
government has indicated that the crew is safe. And they
have indicated that they are providing assistance to the crew.

Q Scott, does the
United States have an obligation toward the Chinese, who was downed,
reparations or apology or anything of that sort?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think the
President addressed that in his statement. He said that --
at the end of his statement this morning, he said we have offered to
provide search and rescue assistance to help the Chinese government
locate the missing aircraft and the pilot, as well.

Q Is there an
obligation on the part of the United States?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we've offered
our assistance, so --

Q Did they ever accept
the offer?

MS. COUNTRYMAN: No, they have not.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, they have not.

Q Scott, this morning
you said the President was fully engaged. He met with his
Secretary of State. He's met with his Defense Secretary.
And, yet, you, speaking for him, cannot tell us whether he has any
knowledge or you have knowledge of whether the plane has been boarded.
They report to the President. He's been meeting with them
all day. Unless he's fully engaged or not, don't you know
whether the plane has been boarded?

MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, again, I'd
refer you to the State Department. I've addressed the question, and if
I have more information for you I'll give it to you later.

Q The State Department
doesn't have any information. I just came back from the
briefing, and they don't have information on this either.

MR. MCCLELLAN: I'm sorry, on the
what?

Q Richard Boucher just
answered several questions on this very issue, and he didn't have much
information.

MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, if we have
more information to provide, we will, and I'll be glad to check on it.

Q Has the Chinese
government indicated that consular officials would be given access to
the detained crew members by a certain time -- like, by
tomorrow? Is that accurate? Is that good enough?

MR. MCCLELLAN: Actually -- well,
it's still troubling by the lack of speed of their
response. They have indicated, Chinese officials told
Ambassador Preuher that, late morning D.C. time, that consular
officials may have access late Tuesday night.

Q May or will?

MR. MCCLELLAN: That they may have
access late Tuesday night.

Q Have they said why
they haven't given us access up to this point? Have they give us a
reason why?

MR. MCCLELLAN: I'd refer you to --
I mean, State Department just had a briefing.

Q Tuesday night there,
or here?

MR. MCCLELLAN: That's their time,
Chinese.

Q Is that in response
to the President's appeal just a little while ago?

MR. MCCLELLAN: I'm sorry?

Q Is that in response
to what the President -- his statement a few minutes ago, this
commitment to have access Tuesday night?

MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, again, we find
it very troubling about the lack of speed in responding, and we
continue to press for prompt access -- that is, as early as possible --
without any further delay.

Q Scott, we're trying
to get the sequence of events. Did the notification that
consular officials could see them by late Tuesday night their time, did
that notification come after the President's statement here, do you
know? We're just trying to establish a sequence of events.

MS. COUNTRYMAN: It was around the
same time frame.

MR. MCCLELLAN: I'll try and get you
a readout on that afterwards.

Q So they're saying we
may not -- if we see them at all, it won't be for another 20 hours?

MR. MCCLELLAN: That's the
indication from the Chinese government.

Q What have we said
back to them?

MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, we continue to
express what the President said earlier today, that we would like
immediate access to the crew.

Q So the President of
the United States tells China he wants immediate access and they say,
well, maybe you'll get it in 20 hours?

MR. MCCLELLAN: We're continuing to
talk with Chinese officials, both in Washington and
Beijing. And we're continuing to move for that to happen as
quickly as possible.

Q Scott, for the
President to be saying that he's troubled about this time line, is
there a time line that the White House and State Department is setting
for the return of the plane, as well as seeing its crew members?

MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, to have access
to the crew as quickly as possible, without any further
delay. We've made that clear. They have indicated
that the crew is safe. But our first priority is the crew,
and the aircraft, as well.

Q Is there a time frame
in this quickness? Is the immediacy a time frame?

MR. MCCLELLAN: We're discussing
that right now with Chinese officials, and saying that we would like
that access as quickly as possible.

Q Or what?

Q Scott, you just said,
though, that you have to the people is most important, but also the
plane. If that's true, then what about this report that the
plane has already been boarded?

MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, again, I've
already addressed that question.

Q I know, but wasn't --
part of that concern?

MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, but I've
addressed that question earlier. If we have more information
on that, I'll get it to you.

Q Scott, what's the
reading of international law, as regards the plane? Do the
Chinese have any right to go on board the plane?

MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, I think State
Department addressed that at the briefing, so I'd refer you to State
Department.

Q So they don't have
any right to go on board, we have the right to demand --

MR. MCCLELLAN: The State Department
addressed that.

Q Do the Chinese
consider this is a spying mission from the United States to their land,
and that's why they act this way?

MR. MCCLELLAN: This was a routine
surveillance mission by U.S. Navy aircraft.

Q Let me follow up and
let me reverse the situation for a moment. How would President Bush
feel if the Chinese -- if Chinese spy aircraft would be routinely
flying just off the shore of San Francisco?

MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, you're getting
into a hypothetical situation.

Q Yes, but this is --

MR. MCCLELLAN: Both sides have said
that this happened 70 miles south of Hainan Island.

Q I mean if the U.S.
does it, then Chinese can do it, too, right? And isn't the President
--

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm not going to get
into a hypothetical situation right now.

Q Isn't the President
concerned about anti-American feelings in China?

MR. McCLELLAN: Again, I think -- he
had the meeting with the Vice Premier of China, Qian Qichen, and they
had a productive meeting. And both expressed that they would
like to strengthen our relations, strengthen that relationship.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, when we
have more information for you, I'll get that to you. But we
continue to press -- because that's our first priority, is the crew,
that we have direct access to them.

Q You're suggesting
that in response to them saying maybe Tuesday night, 20 hours from now,
that you continue to talk, and that you're still impatient -- the
President is still impatient with the timetable. So should
we conclude from that that the response to that was, no, that's not
good enough, we need to keep talking?

MR. McCLELLAN: To the response to
-- the response to, I'm sorry?

Q The U.S. has told
China, that's not good enough, haven't they? Haven't we told the
Chinese, it's not good enough to see them in 20 hours?

MR.
McCLELLAN: Absolutely. No, we have indicated
immediate access. The President indicated that earlier today, as
well.

Q Scott, the President
said that if -- that the Chinese should act promptly, to be consistent
with their request for good relations with the United States
government. You have said now that you don't consider this
action prompt enough. Does that mean that China, from the
perspective of the White House, is acting in a way that's inconsistent
with good relations with this country?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, he indicated
earlier that that is inconsistent with standard diplomatic practice;
with also what both countries expressed in the meeting recently, which
was for better relations.

Q So what they're doing
now is inconsistent with that and, therefore, causing even
more problems in these relations?

Q At the State
Department, Richard Boucher was asked whether we knew where the crew
was, physically -- whether it was in the plane, on the base, wherever
it was. He said he didn't know. Does the White
House know where the crew is, physically?

MR. MCCLELLAN: If I have more
information, I'll get that to you. But State Department
would be --

Q There are reports
that they're in some kind of guest house, what they call a guest
house.

MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, what the
Chinese government had indicated to us is that they are providing
humanitarian assistance to the crew. But that's the
information I have at this time.

Q He didn't ask you
where -- the question back here wasn't where they are, he was just
asking, does the White House know where they are? I think
it's a yes or a no.

MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, the Chinese
government has indicated that they're safe and that they're providing
humanitarian assistance to them. So I think you can assume from that.

Q That we know where
they are right now? Because --

MR. MCCLELLAN: That the Chinese
government is, like I said, providing humanitarian assistance.

Q Does the White House
know where they are right now, physically?

Q Meaning they've been
taken off the plane?

Q So we don't know?

MR. MCCLELLAN: I'm sorry?

Q Meaning they've been
taken off the plane?

MR. MCCLELLAN: I'll get back to you
on that.

Q Scott, last week, the
President said that U.S. is not threat to China. How about
if China is a threat to the U.S., number one. Number two, if
Chinese are spying on the U.S.?

MR. MCCLELLAN: Do you have
something to bring to my attention?

Q Well, the President
said that U.S. is not threat to China; how about if China is threat to
U.S. security?

MR. MCCLELLAN: If China, what?

Q China is threat to
the United States?

Q Is China a threat to
the United States?

Q It's about the same
question, that if they are flying off the shore of San Francisco, do
they do that?

MR. MCCLELLAN: I'd refer you to the
Defense Department on that question. I'm not aware of any --

Q What's the
explanation for the different interpretation of international law?

MR. MCCLELLAN: Let me come
back. Let me go around.

Q Two
questions. Couldn't these missions be conducted by -- or
satellite? Do we have to have people on the plane to conduct
these dangerous missions?

MR. MCCLELLAN: I think that's a
question for the Pentagon. But this is a routine mission
that we have been conducting.

Q And, also, the
President said our embassy officials are on the ground. Does
that mean they're actually on the island?

MS. COUNTRYMAN: They're on Hainan
Island.

MR. MCCLELLAN: Okay, they are
there.

Q Scott, let me put my
question in a different way. The President said last week
that U.S. is not threat to China. He meant that security
threat or military threat. How about if China is threat to
the United States, as far as military threat is concerned?

MR. MCCLELLAN: I'm sorry?

Q I think what he means
is, the U.S. has said that deployment of national missile defense
should not be interpreted by China as a threat, right?

Q Yes.

MR.
MCCLELLAN: Right. That was addressed after the
meeting with the Vice Premier. I think that's already
previously been addressed.

Q Can I ask about Condoleezza Rice? Before she became National Security
Advisor, she was on the Board of Directors of Chevron Corporation. And
Chevron, before she left, named an oil tanker after
her. There's an oil tanker named the Condoleezza
Rice. And I'm wondering if -- it's 136-ton oil tanker that
carries oil around the world. And given that Chevron has
been accused of human rights abuses with the Nigerian Mobile Police
against civilians in Nigeria, I'm wondering whether the President
thinks it's wise to have this close a relationship with Chevron.

MR. MCCLELLAN: I think that issue
has already been addressed by Dr. Rice, and she will uphold the
highest ethical standards in office and that issue --

Q Should the President
call the President of Chevron and say, take the name off the tanker?

MR. MCCLELLAN: That issue has been
addressed. I think the issue has been addressed.

Q Scott, I have other
question not related to China. President Bush invited Mr. Sharon a few
days ago, and he invited now Mr. Mubarak. This is about the
time to invite Chairman Arafat to hear from him the impact of the
problem there, so he can have the balanced view from each part, and he
is able to evaluated what exactly it should be about in this area,
regarding the involvement of the United States.

MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, I think
Secretary Powell has been in contact with the Chairman. And
what our focus is right now is to help facilitate the peace in the
Middle East, not force the peace. The President has
indicated that the first step is that we need to end the
violence. So we're going to continue working with all
parties. The President, as you know, is meeting with
President Mubarak right now, continuing to strengthen our already
strong bilateral relations with Egypt. And we will have a
readout on that meeting later today.

Q Scott, may I follow
up on that? Are you saying that an invitation to Mr. Arafat
could be seen as forcing the peace process in the Middle East?

MR. MCCLELLAN: I'm
sorry? We don't have anything to announce on that, if there
is.

Q You say the United
States is not preparing to force anything in favor of the peace
process. And his question was, an invitation to Mr. Arafat
from President Bush. Do you see that invitation as a forcing
process to --

MR. MCCLELLAN: I didn't
characterize anything.

Q Scott, you have said
several times that this was a routine mission. I presume you
are aware of just how routine and could give us some information about
how often these flights are undertaken, and how close they come to the
shore?

MR. MCCLELLAN: We don't provide
that information from here, but --

Q Then how do you know
they're routine?

MR. MCCLELLAN: The Pentagon, if you
want to refer that question to them.

Q Now, wait a
minute. If you're going to stand at the podium and tell the
American people these are routine missions, I believe we expect you to
know something about how routine they are.

MR. MCCLELLAN: And that's why I
would refer you to the Pentagon, so they can talk in more detail about
what that entails. I think the Pentagon is the appropriate
place to refer that.

We had a question back here in the back.

Q Scott, I just have a
question regarding Taiwan. Does Taiwan ever come up, ever
arise when President meets with his national security team? And, also,
you answered a previous question regarding arm sales to Taiwan. You
said the decision has not been decided. But I just wonder,
in any way it affects the President's decision, like postponing the
arms talk with Taiwan.

MR. MCCLELLAN: About -- has this
situation?

Q Incident, accident,
or whatever, will this --

MR. MCCLELLAN: The President has
repeatedly iterated that -- our support for the Taiwan Relations Act,
and that we will help Taiwan defend itself. No decision has
been made at this time, and when we do have a decision, then we will
let you know at that point what the decision was.

Q Has Taiwan ever come
up during the discussion, when the President met with his national
security team?

MR. MCCLELLAN: Has Taiwan?

Q Yes, this morning.

MR. MCCLELLAN: Oh, this
morning? I will check on things, see if I can get you a
further readout.

Q Again, the same
question, have the Chinese given us any indication of why we cannot
have access to the crew? I asked the same question at the
State Department, and they directed me to China.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, I don't, I don't
have any information.

Q Scott, for people who
are going to want to hear the President's speech, is there an escort
leaving soon for that?

MR. McCLELLAN: Mr. Johndroe will
help you with that.

Q On Taiwan, may I
follow up? Does this President still believe in the One
China policy, part of the equation, if Taiwan voluntarily becomes part
of China?

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, and we fully
support the Taiwan Relations Act, as I indicated.

Q But those are two
different things.

MR. McCLELLAN: That's right.

Q Scott, last week the
President moved to repeal regulations that would require federal
agencies to look at the law violations of federal
contracts. Now, is the President saying that he doesn't care
whether federal contractors violate the law or not? All the
law said was, look at the law violations and take that into
consideration whether you're going to give a contract. So
they look at whether these people are corporate criminals or
not. Does the President not care about the reputation --

MR. McCLELLAN: Again, this is a
suspension of a last-minute rule by the Clinton administration that was
highly controversial at the time. And what we have right now
is that there are strong measures in place to address law breaking
contractors who should not receive federal contracts. And this
administration strongly supports strict procurement standards. But we
believe that that rule was overly broad and onerous. So now
it is going through a review, so we can determine the best step to take
as we move forward. But that --

Q What were those
measures that were in place?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry?

Q What measures are
already in place?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'll get you
information on all those measures.

Q Thank you.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well,
okay. I'll get you that information.

Q When the Pacific
Commander briefed reporters yesterday in Hawaii, he was very clear
about what he felt, what the American view of what was required under
international law would be; and, in fact, he even spoke about what
would happen if the situation were reversed. He spoke about
immediate access to the crew, he spoke about no tampering or boarding
of the plane, and he spoke about repatriation of the crew as quickly as
possible.

Twenty-four hours or more has now passed, and
apparently none of those things have happened, and perhaps one of those
has been violated. In light of all of that, is it the
American view that the Chinese have violated international norms
standards?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, what the
President indicated earlier, and I think I addressed this at the
beginning, that it is inconsistent with standard diplomatic practice,
what is going on right now. And so we need to -- we're going
to continue to make that known to the Chinese government, both here and
in Beijing.

Q My question was, are
they violating international law?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, what they are
doing -- I addressed that -- is inconsistent with standard diplomatic
practice.